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Tomas Jurco
| birth_place = Kosice, Slovakia | team = Chicago Blackhawks | league = NHL | prospect_team = | prospect_league = AHL | former_teams = Detroit Red Wings | position = Right Wing | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 203 | shoots = Left | ntl_team = SVK | draft = 35th overall | draft_team = Detroit Red Wings | draft_year = 2011 | career_start = 2009 | career_end = }} Tomas Jurco (born on December 28, 1992) is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the second round (35th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Playing Career Junior At the 2009 CHL Import Draft, Tomas was selected fourth overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He joined the team that year, and was nominated for the 2009–10 QMJHL Rookie of the Year award. His skill set involves a unique set of hands and good sense of vision on the ice and he was compared to his favorite player and fellow countryman, Marian Hossa. His videos demonstrating his skills are popular on YouTube amongst many hockey fans. Tomas was a key contributor in the Sea Dogs' Memorial Cup championship title in 2011, where Saint John defeated the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 3–1 in the Final. On June 25, 2011, the Detroit Red Wings drafted him in the second round (35th overall) as the team's first pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Professional On August 7, 2012, Tomas signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Red Wings. He was then assigned to the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, for the 2012–13 season. He recorded 14 goals and 14 assists in 74 games in his first professional season. He was among the team's leading scorers during the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs, recording eight goals and six assists to help lead the Griffins to the Calder Cup championship over the Syracuse Crunch. Tomas began the 2013–14 season with the Griffins before being called up to the Detroit Red Wings. At the time of his first call-up, He led the Griffins in goals (11), assists (16), points (27) and power play goals (5). On December 15, 2013, Tomas made his NHL debut for the Red Wings in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Two nights later on December 17, 2013, he scored his first career NHL goal against Jonas Hiller of the Anaheim Ducks. On July 24, 2015, Tomas signed a two-year contract extension with the Red Wings. On November 17, 2015, he was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins on a conditioning assignment. Before being assigned to Grand Rapids, he appeared in four games for the Red Wings that season, recording one assist. On November 20, 2015, Tomas tied a franchise record with three power play goals, becoming just the third Griffin to accomplish the feat. Tomas was named the CCM/AHL "Player of the Week" for the week ending 22 November. He posted a league-best seven points for the week, three goals and four assists, and helped lead the Griffins to three consecutive wins, tallying assists on all three game-winning goals. On November 28, 2015, Tomas was recalled by the Red Wings from his conditioning assignment. In five games for the Griffins, he recorded five goals and four assists, and helped lead the Griffins in winning all five games he appeared in. On February 24, 2017, Tomas was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft. During his career with the Red Wings, he recorded 15 goals and 24 assists in 159 games. He closed out the regular season with the Blackhawks in scoring just 1 goal in 13 games and was a healthy scratch through Chicago's first-round defeat to the Nashville Predators. As a restricted free agent, on June 26, 2017, Tomas was re-signed to a one-year contract extension with the Blackhawks. Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs International International Play Tomas represented Slovakia at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, scoring one point in six games. He again represented Slovakia at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he was the leading scorer on the team, recording one goal and seven assists in five games. He was selected to play for the senior Slovakia team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi where he finished the tournament with one goal in four games. He represented Slovakia at the 2015 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded one assist in five games. Tomas represented Slovakia at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded two goals and three assists in seven games. Personal Life Tomas is the younger brother of Petra Jurčová, a veteran of the Slovak women's ice hockey team. Category:1992 births Category:Slovak ice hockey players Category:Detroit Red Wings draft picks Category:Detroit Red Wings players Category:Chicago Blackhawks players Category:Grand Rapids Griffins players